A possible answer to "Where should the flame end on a Meiji 23 dragon yen? "
satootoko
Posts: 2,720 ✭
This seller appears to have figured out the date numbers (23) on his coin, but then took an incorrect WAG that the characters for the Meiji Emperors' reign meant "19".
As a beginning student of modern Japanese coinage (I respectfully decline the sobriquet "expert" someone tagged on me in another thread), who doesn't have many of the early dragon yens (yet), the clear picture of the flame in this auction caused me to do some research on dragon spines.
In the picture the flame extends between the dragon's 4th and 5th spines. Both Krause and the JNDA Catalog say that in Meiji 25 (1892), there are coins with that design, and coins with the flame just overlapping the 3rd spine, but neither source discusses the correct position for other years. Vermuele & Jacobs ignore the question in Japanese Coinage.
However, in Modern Japanese Coinage, Cummings' seems to have the answer. He points out that in 1892 the diameter of the coin was reduced from 38.6mm to 38.1mm. He also attributes the 4/5th spine design to the larger coins and the 3rd spine design to the smaller. On that basis, it appears that on coins minted through Meiji 24 (1891) we should see the longer flame, and on coins minted from Meiji 26 (1893) through the end of the design in Taisho 3 (1914), we should see the shorter one. My few examples are all consistent with that analysis.
Maybe Shiroh can take enough time away from his new liteside profession to comment on my conclusions.
As a beginning student of modern Japanese coinage (I respectfully decline the sobriquet "expert" someone tagged on me in another thread), who doesn't have many of the early dragon yens (yet), the clear picture of the flame in this auction caused me to do some research on dragon spines.
In the picture the flame extends between the dragon's 4th and 5th spines. Both Krause and the JNDA Catalog say that in Meiji 25 (1892), there are coins with that design, and coins with the flame just overlapping the 3rd spine, but neither source discusses the correct position for other years. Vermuele & Jacobs ignore the question in Japanese Coinage.
However, in Modern Japanese Coinage, Cummings' seems to have the answer. He points out that in 1892 the diameter of the coin was reduced from 38.6mm to 38.1mm. He also attributes the 4/5th spine design to the larger coins and the 3rd spine design to the smaller. On that basis, it appears that on coins minted through Meiji 24 (1891) we should see the longer flame, and on coins minted from Meiji 26 (1893) through the end of the design in Taisho 3 (1914), we should see the shorter one. My few examples are all consistent with that analysis.
Maybe Shiroh can take enough time away from his new liteside profession to comment on my conclusions.
Roy
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